High Flier

Chapter 9 - Admissions of Love

~Pirate Rhi

Hey guys, sorry about the sad ending to the last chapter, I hope this one will be a bit better, and I can guarantee that the next one will be even better, but I'm not sure about the one after, because I haven't written it yet, but I'm pretty sure that'll be even better still, especially if you're a lemon lover. That's right, the lemon will be in chapter 11. I'm in the process of writing it as we speak…uhhh…type. It's holidays now so I'll have a lot more writing time.

I finally received my copy of POTC (I ordered it on Amazon…heh heh…I couldn't wait a few more weeks to buy it over here) on the afternoon that I was leaving for camp (grrr) and I only got around to watching it yesterday when I got back. It was the first thing I did when I got back…drool over Jack Sparrow for a couple of hours. I also got Once Upon a Time in Mexico, which I spent all of today watching and drooling over. Can you believe that OUATIM is still in the cinemas over here? Stupid behind the times New Zealand…Funny thing was that buying 2 DVDs online was only 97 cents more than what I'd pay for them over here, and that includes shipping and the exchange rate…

Anyway, I'm gonna stop blabbing now, I'm sure you guys don't wanna hear all about my life, so I'm gonna reply to some reviews and then you can read the chapter.

Padfoots-Pirate - Terribly sorry that you didn't get your lemon just yet, but it'll be in chapter 11 as I've just said and that'll give you something to look forward to.

Queen of the Caribbean - Well, I'm sure you'll be happy to see that your begging paid off big time and you'll see Jack's decision about halfway through the chapter. Enjoy.

CrazyCanoeingGIT - Well, I'm glad you have faith in me. And I assure you, I'm a sucker for happy endings, so there will be no sad endings in any of my stories, just a lot of mentalness and prolonged indecision in the middle…heh heh.

Eccentric Banshee - Please don't die…otherwise you won't be able to read this chapter…

Badassgothicgirl - Well done. You summed it up in one word.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"We have to get him to go back." Elizabeth said to Will later that day. It was the first chance they'd had to talk alone for the whole day. Jack had been working the crew harder than they'd ever worked before in their lives.

"I know. But how?" will said. "He may seem a bit crazy sometimes, but he does have his pride. He doesn't like to admit he's wrong."

"I don't know how. All I know is that he's missing her and he's taking it out on us." Elizabeth said. "I think I'll go and see if I can talk some sense into him."

Her mind made up, Elizabeth turned and left the room in search of the infernal pirate captain.

* * * * * *

After spending most of the morning sitting on the beach, idly sifting the golden sand through her fingers, Alex made her way back to the Lucky Chicken tavern.

"Ah, there's me little worker. Thought you'd run away." Mara greeted when Alex got back.

"No. Not me. I was just looking around the town, and I sat on the beach for a while." Alex said.

Mara raised an eyebrow at the sadness in Alex's voice that she was trying desperately to hide, but she didn't say anything. She'd learned a long time ago that you can tell more about a person by what they don't say, rather than what they say.

"So, what brought you to this lovely town." Mara said, putting a sarcastic tone on 'lovely'.

"It's a long story." Alex replied.

"Well, we don't open 'til 6, so we got plenny o' time yet." Mara said.

Alex shrugged, no longer paranoid about telling people her story. She credited that to Jack, Will and Elizabeth. They'd helped her come a long way from the secretive, hurting girl she was at the circus. "Well, to make a long story short, I was rescued from a horrible existance by a pirate, and he brought me onto his ship and took care of me. He was the first man in my life not to use me for something or another."

"So why are you here and not with your pirate?"

"He's not my pirate." Alex protested. "And I had to get away. I didn't want to get involved with someone else. It's only ever caused trouble."

"Really? In what way?"

"Just something that happened in my past. I vowed that I wouldn't love again." Alex explained.

"Sounds like it's too late." Mara said, reading between the lines. "Sounds like you've already fallen for said pirate."

"I know!" Alex said. "But that's exactly the problem. I was trying so hard not to get attached, but it's too late. Mara, I really miss him."

"Poor girl." Mara said, sympathising with Alex. "Does your pirate have a name?"

"Yeah. Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Really?" Mara said, drawing out the word, the familiar name clicking in her mind.

* * * * * *

"What do you mean you're not going back?" Elizabeth exclaimed, disbelieving of Jack's choice.

"She made her choice and I have to respect that." Jack said simply, as he manned the helm of the Black Pearl, holding a steady course away from Tortuga.

"She was scared and confused! She didn't know what she wanted, so she ran." Elizabeth explained, trying to justify Alex's actions. "Stop being such a stubborn fool, Jack."

"I cannot be responsible for her actions. If she chose to run, it has nothing to do with me."

"But it has everything to do with you! Can't you see? She loves you, but she's scared. She told me that last time she fell in love with someone, he just used her and killed her brother." Elizabeth explained.

Jack gave Elizabeth a quick look, surprised at what she'd just said. "So that's why she didn't want to get close to anyone."

"Exactly! That's why you need to go and find her, before she gets even more hurt than what she is now." Elizabeth said, glad that she got her point across.

"About sail, mates. We're goin' back to Tortuga!" Jack yelled across the ship, after thinking for a moment. He was going back for his lass.

* * * * * *

The figure cloaked in black waited impatiently in the shadows at the docks for its contact to come. Finally, a scruffy-looking man approached the person.

"Whaddaya want?" the man asked.

The person handed a small package bound in black cloth over to the man.

"This is your task. See that it is done quickly." The person instructed.

The man unwrapped the black cloth and took a look at the contents of the package.

"We shall set sail immediately." He stated.

"Excellent." The person said. "Half the money I have already given you. You shall get the other half on arrival if you are successful."

The man nodded curtly and scurried off to his ship where his large crew was waiting.

The figure in black watched as the ship sailed off before shuffling back up the street, blending in with the darkness.

* * * * * *

Alex was very busy that night at the tavern. Mara had said that this was one of the busiest nights that she'd had since she'd opened a year or so ago. It was packed full of people, bossing Alex around, demanding drinks and service, even of the kind that she did not provide.

Alex was constantly pouring drinks and bringing them to the tables of the already drunk men. But so long as they paid for the drinks and didn't cause any trouble, it was all right with Mara.

There hadn't been very many difficult customers that night, and Mara had swiftly dealt with them all, using her experience in reasoning with drunken men to evict them from the tavern.

Alex stacked a tray full with mugs of various liquors, which she proceeded to deliver to various people sitting around the tavern. A lot of the guys would give her catcalls and try and grab her arse as she walked by, but Alex just ignored it, keeping her mind firmly on other things. Namely one Captain Jack Sparrow, and how she missed him.

"Hey, darlin'. Hows about I treat ya to a night of lovin'." A man said, grinning at Alex as she walked past. He grabbed her right arm tightly and pulled her to him.

Alex gasped slightly and winced at the tight grip he had on her arm, and the still sore scar from her knife wound.

"Let me go. I'm not interested in a night with you or anyone else." She stated clearly and coldly.

The man laughed, spurred on by the cheering of his friends. "I'm sure you'll change ya mind…darlin'." He said, hissing the word 'darlin' through his teeth as he pulled Alex down towards him.

Alex whipped out her dagger and pressed it to the man's neck. "And you, kind sir, shall take your hands off me and take yourself and your scrawny mates out of the tavern right now."

Shocked, the man released his grip on Alex's arm, which she pulled back towards her body gratefully, and he slowly stood. For a moment, Alex thought he would hit her, the anger in his eyes was so evident, but he motioned to his friends instead.

"Come on, mates. We're obvi'sly not wanted 'ere." He said after dropping a few coins on the table to pay for the drinks.

Alex was relieved when the man and his friends went out the door, and she busied herself clearing the table and collecting the money.

* * * * * *

Jack had not left the helm of the Pearl since he'd made up his mind to return to Tortuga for Alex. It was now nightfall and most of the crew had gone to bed, but he'd declined Gibbs' offer of taking the helm for the night. It would be at least another day until they arrived back in Tortuga, the strong winds that pushed them quickly away from the town were hindering their progress back. He was tempted to get his crew to help by rowing, but he discounted that idea, they already thought him mad to be returning for a lass that left him. But he couldn't get her out of his mind.

Jack was startled out of his thoughts when he heard the noisy clamber of someone coming up onto the deck. He turned and saw Will stepping out onto the deck.

Will made his way over to the helm and leaned casually against the wheel.

"What do you want, Turner?" Jack asked, absent-mindedly checking his compass and adjusting their course slightly.

"You love her, don't you." Will said, straight up.

Jack raised his eyes from the compass and looked at Will contemplatingly. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

"Come on, Jack. Don't deny it. She's the best thing that's ever happened to you. That's why you're going back for her. You love her." Will pressed.

"Will, mate. You don't get it. Pirates don't love. It's an unspoken rule. If you get close to something, if you care about something, then it can be used against you."

"No, Jack, you're the one who doesn't get it. When something good happens to you, just accept it, not sit back and contemplate every way it could go wrong." Will said, exasperated at how stubborn Jack was being. "Think about it." He paused for a second, watching Jack's reaction, then turned and walked back towards his cabin.

Jack contemplated Will's words for a minute or so before deciding that he was too tired to think about anything at the moment. He called up to the night watchman that he was taking a rest, and made his way to his cabin, where he stripped off his shirt and fell back onto the bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

* * * * * *

The attack came with no warning. The creaking of the ship as it floated on the spot had lulled the night watchman to sleep and he snored softly, draped over the side of the crows' nest.

The Bella, floated silently up alongside the Pearl, thudding quietly against it. The crew of the Bella went to work, bridging the gap between the two ships with long planks. They then climbed over the planks, spilling onto the deck of the Pearl.

Silently directing three of his men to follow him, and the rest to stay put on the deck and keep a look out, the leader, a scruffy-looking man with an evil glint to his eye crept towards the Captain's quarters.

It was there that he encountered a fast asleep Jack Sparrow, lazily spread out over the bed, wearing only pants.

The leader crossed the room and pressed his knife to Jack's neck. The cold metal instantly woke Jack up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jack growled.

"I would shut up and follow my orders, Sparrow, for if you don't, you shall never see the light of day again." The leader threatened, a menacing tone in his voice.

"That would be Captain Sparrow to you." Jack corrected, not missing a beat.

The man only pressed the dagger harder against Jack's throat. "I mean it…Captain…Sparrow." He thrust one of Jack's shirts towards him. "Get dressed. And not a sound." He reminded.

Jack complied and pulled on his shirt and reached for his coat, which the man allowed him to put on, once he'd checked the pockets for weapons. He was then gagged and cuffed and led out onto the deck towards the planks, which joined the two boats.

Once onto the Bella, Jack was forced into the brig, and he felt the ship move away. And the only thing he found himself thinking about was Alex.

* * * * * *

It was a day later that Jack felt the ship dock and he was taken out of the brig. He was blindfolded and put in a small boat in which he was rowed to shore.

He knew where he was. The gap he had in the bottom of his blindfold confirmed it, but the smell in the air of sex, drugs and alcohol gave it away. He was back in Tortuga.

Once they were docked, Jack was prodded down the dock, trying hard not to trip over, sneaking peeks out of the gap in the blindfold, until he was instructed to stop at the end of the dock, where a conversation was carried out with someone.

"Here 'e is. Jus' like ye order'd." the leader said.

"Good." The other person replied in a low voice.

Jack looked through the gap in his blindfold and saw a figure cloaked in black hand a small pack age to the leader next to him.

"There's your payment. Now begone. Leave him to me."

"Yessir." The leader said, and his footsteps, along with two of his other crew members, faded down the dock.

Jack felt the cold, metal barred of a gun pressed into his back.

"Walk." He was instructed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Okay, I just thought of a funny joke that I heard on camp and I thought I'd share it with you guys and a bit of an up note top the end of this chapter…

So this guy walks into a bar and he's got this steering wheel sticking out of the fly of his jeans. The bartender takes one look at this guy and the steering wheel and asks the inevitable: "Why do you have a steering wheel sticking out of the fly of your jeans?". The guy looks down at the steering wheel and shrugs. Then he answers: "I don't know, but it's driving me nuts."

Now this is the part where you laugh hysterically and make your family look at you like you're nuts.

Heh heh.

Well, I'm gonna go watch Alias now.

See you in the next chapter.

~Rhi